This sky, all
cottondark murk
treaclethick air and
close: the walls of the world
moved in next door

and the water tower, its
dragonfly-blue bulbous head
blinking all languid,
even, above the trees,
hurls its unexpected shadow
upon them, as surprised as anyone
when it sticks. But then

it doesn't know that these walls
are papered, today,
with the preserved souls
of circus elephants,
notoriously sticky
especially when spread
two or three thick.

This sky, which knows
of the viscosity of elephant spirits,
but not, until now, of the soaplike properties
of the prayers of circus trainers
is fleeing from the big brick church,
heading down the highway,
leaving the sun to spotlight
the burning brick the
purpleblue stained-glass faces the
misspelled sign

leaving for the safety
of parking-lot rapture,
dripping bits of itself
along the way, and then stopping
spreading out its picnic blanket
to wait, and bleed
redorangeyellowgreenblueviolet
onto gaping mouths, hands cupped
to catch a drip of cameraphone glory.

Emma Conner

Emma Conner, 17, of Augusta, is the daughter of Buffy Silverman and Jeff Conner. She is a senior at Gull Lake High School and attends the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center. Emma won honorable mention for teen short story in 2007 and 2008. She won first place for teen short story in 2005. Some of her favorite authors are Peter S. Beagle and Neil Gaiman.